G.R. Nos. 140514-15 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, VS. JUNE IGNAS Y SANGGINO, ACCUSED-.DECISION - Supreme Court E-Library

Ruling

WHEREFORE, premises considered, the accused June Ignas is hereby found GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of MURDER as defined and penalized under Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code, and considering the aggravating circumstances of treachery, nighttime and the special aggravating circumstance of the use of an unlicensed firearm, without any mitigating circumstance, he is hereby sentenced to suffer the penalty of Reclusion Perpetua . He is further sentenced to pay the heirs of the VICTIM the following sums: P150,000.00 for funeral expenses and those incurred for and during the wake; P1,800,000.00 for unearned income; P50,000.00 as death compensation established by jurisprudence; and P50,000.00 as and for moral damages; and P20,000.00 as attorney's fees. Costs against the accused. SO ORDERED in Chambers this 18 th day of February 1999 at La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines. [62] Both the prosecution and the defense filed their respective motions for reconsideration. The prosecution sought the imposition of the death penalty. [63] The defense prayed for acquittal on the ground of reasonable doubt. On June 2, 1999, the trial court granted the prosecution's motion. It amended its judgment to read as follows: WHEREFORE, premises considered, the accused June Ignas is hereby found GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of MURDER as defined and penalized under Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code, and considering the aggravating circumstances of treachery, nighttime and the special aggravating circumstance of the use of an unlicensed firearm, without any mitigating circumstance, he is hereby sentenced to suffer the penalty of death by lethal injection . He is further sentenced to pay the heirs of the victim the following sums: P150,000.00 for funeral expenses and those incurred for and during the wake; P2,040,000.00 for unearned income; P50,000.00 as death compensation established by jurisprudence; and P50,000.00 as and for moral damages; and P20,000.00 as attorney's fees. Costs against the accused. SO ORDERED in Chambers. [64] Hence, this automatic review, with appellant imputing the following errors to the court a quo : I THE TRIAL COURT GRAVELY ERRED IN FINDING THE ACCUSED-APPELLANT GUILTY BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT OF THE CRIME OF MURDER DESPITE THE WEAKNESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE OF THE PROSECUTION. II THE TRIAL COURT GRAVELY ERRED IN GIVING EVIDENTIARY WEIGHT TO THE ALLEGED EXTRA-JUDICIAL ADMISSIONS MADE BY ACCUSED-APPELLANT DESPITE ITS BEING HEARSAY IN NATURE AND IN VIOLATION OF HIS RIGHTS UNDER CUSTODIAL INVESTIGATION. III THE TRIAL COURT GRAVELY ERRED IN NOT GIVING PROBATIVE VALUE TO THE DEFENSE OF ALIBI INTERPOSED BY ACCUSED-APPELLANT. IV ASSUMING ARGUENDO THAT THE ACCUSED-APPELLANT IS GUILTY, THE TRIAL COURT GRAVELY ERRED WHEN IT RULED THAT THE KILLING OF THE DECEASED WAS ATTENDED BY EVIDENT PREMEDITATION, TREACHERY AND NIGHTTIME. V THE TRIAL COURT COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR WHEN IT APPRECIATED THE ALLEGED USE OF AN UNLICEN